On the Siren

Last Thursday Israel remembered the Holocaust. At 10 in the morning a siren was sounded for 2 minutes of silence during which time everyone stood. I was in class during the siren. The significance of that day was made more profound when my professor told us that her mother, who passed away about four weeks ago, was a Holocaust survivor. She was hidden by locals, with her sister, for the duration of WWII.

This week, Israel commemorates the loss of soldiers with memorial day. The siren will sound again and Israel will pause. It is truly eerie and intriguing to experience this event. If you haven't ever done it before, google "Israel siren video" and you'll get many videos of Israel coming to a standstill. (Look especially for one of the highways)

Immediately when memorial day ends, independence day begins: fireworks, BBQ, spending the day at the park, and all the accouterments. The flags have been going up over the past week in anticipation of the holiday!